Better Men

"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

Men of Faith, Men of Action; we are calling all men of faith to take action.

The Peace Prayer of St. Francis

by an anonymous Norman c. 1915 A.D. Peace Prayer

Lord make me an instrument of your peace

Where there is hatred,Let me sow love;Where there is injury, pardon;Where there is error, truth;Where there is doubt, faith;Where there is despair, hope;Where there is darkness, light;And where there is sadness, Joy.

O Divine Master grant that I may not so much seek to be consoledAs to console;To be understood,as to understand;To be loved, as to love.For it is in giving that we receive,It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

Please join with me in the fight against modern-day slavery (human trafficking). I believe that with enough good men we can win this battle and end human trafficking.

I have joined The Defenders USA with other men to stand up for our daughters and be their defenders. I made a medallion to bring attention to this tragic situation and to call our attention to the innocent victims. Please carry it as a reminder that these are our daughters and sisters that we must defend.

I am encouraging men to join Anti-Human Trafficking organizations that have the purpose of stopping it at its source.

Anti-Human Trafficking Groups:

The Defenders USACoalition of men that are opposed to all forms of commercialized sex. The Defenders USA has initiated several movements in an effort to combat the commercial sex industry such as their video contests and Truck-Stop campaign.

EPIK Everyman Protecting Innocent Kids. The mission of the EPIK Project is to mobilize 100,000 men to end demand for prostituted kids by helping to fund their restoration and working to change the culture that made them victims. Because ending demand is a man's job.

Hope for Justice is one response to this crisis of our lifetime. Lets abolish slavery, again, together. Join our movement and become a community abolition activist fighting to end human trafficking locally and globally.

Rape for Profit Film The Rape For Profit Crew is a collection of guys who have grown up together, who then left to study and hone their craft and have now reunited to put peoples dreams on screen; and in this case, the dreams of these little girls to be set free.

REST was founded in 2009 by a group of men and women who wanted to take action and help women and children who are being forced into prostitution in Seattle, WA. REST exists to bring freedom and hope to victims of sex trafficking and people involved the sex trade, by offering a real and lasting escape

Seattle Against Slavery A coalition of activists, non-profit organizations (NGO) seeking to partner with government prosecuting offices and city agencies in the Greater Seattle area to work closely together so that the voice and efforts of our events and projects will be that much more successful.

Washington Engage Seeks to eradicate sex and labor trafficking in Washington State by providing knowledge and tools that empower government, business, and grassroots leaders to take action. Washington Engage fulfills its mission to businesses through a collaborative partnership with Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST)

BEST Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking aligns and equips leaders to use the power of business to prevent human trafficking.

REAL MEN DONT BUY GIRLS

Take the Pledge:

Recognizing that men create demand for prostituted children and that better men have to end the demand...

And mindful of my own past failure to protect the innocence of kids by tolerating the existence of the commercial sex industry that makes them vulnerable...

Today I make the commitment to becoming a better man and my commitment is demonstrated by the following:

I will not purchase or participate in pornography, prostitution or any form of the commercial sex industry.

Internet, TV, Movies, Magazines, Bikini Baristas, Strip Clubs.

I will hold my friends accountable for their actions toward women and children.

No toleration for degrading women, improper jokes, indecent pictures.

Meet with, pray, lead by example, encourage.

I will take immediate action to protect those I love from this destructive market.

Become informed, partner with Anti-Human Trafficking organizations, and tell others.

I will defend our daughters with my life of integrity.

Will you take the pledge?

To count your pledge and join The Defenders USA, please fill out the form below. Your information will not be shared with other organizations and shall remain confidential.

You will receive your personal Defenders Membership Card in the mail within two weeks. Sign and date it and carry it in your wallet as a reminder of your Pledge.

Dear Defender,

Welcome. Today you are a Defender. It's the role men have been called to fill. It's a pledge worth making and it's a pledge worth keeping.

Being a Defender is living a life of integrity and purity. We're men who take seriously our role to be protectors and providers.

Yet being a Defender is more than a label, it's also a lifestyle.

To live the life of a Defender, you have to be on guard. No matter where you've been, how deeply you and your family have been affected; you have to prepare yourself for the battle. In our culture today, it's inevitable that the battle will find you.

You've put on your armor today. You've made a decision to take action. Here are some tools that I have found helpful in the fight:

Speak with Integrity. Find a wingman. Real men find strength in numbers, and in numbers they flee destruction. My battle would be lonely if I didn't have other men who know what tempts me. I have honest and confidential relationships with two men who know the very best about me and the very worst. They ask me the tough questions each week that I need to answer. I've included a wallet-size version of The Tough Questions on the back of your pledge-use them.

Switch with Conviction. The days of "Leave it to Beaver" and "My Three Sons" are long gone. Today sex is a frequent topic of conversation on TV. I need to guard my eye-gate and my ear-gate. To do that I have this wonderful tool called a remote control. When a scene comes on TV that I don't need to see or listen to, I switch the channel. If I have to do that three times with the same program, they strike out and fall off the list of acceptable shows for family viewing.

Block with Intention. I have told many men that a computer at home with unblocked Internet access is a fall waiting to happen. Sadly, many teen boys today have unblocked Internet access in their bedroom. The question is not, "Will he find porn?" The questions are, "When will he find porn and what will he do when he finds it?" There are several effective filters that can help men protect their homes. Unfortunately, we let people in our homes through the computer screen that we would not let walk in the front door.

Love with Passion. The porn industry has a warped view of love. For me to love my wife, I need to be a man of integrity. For me to love my children, I need to model for them a man of integrity. I need to be passionate about the people I love and show them what it means to be a Defender in a sexually obsessed culture.

Men, through their direct Involvement or indifference create and perpetuate t h e p r o b l e m of buying and selling kids for sex (better) Men through their willingness do Something Tostart somewhere can solve it the epik project

EPIK EPIK Everyman Protecting Innocent Kids. The mission of the EPIK Project is to mobilize 100,000 men to end demand for prostituted kids by helping to fund their restoration and working to change the culture that made them victims. Because ending demand is a man's job.

Driven by the simple conviction that as followers of Jesus, we are compelled to join the fight, our strategy is to move city-by-city; first engaging Christian men to lead this initiative, and then reaching beyond the Church to include all men regardless of creed who agree that ending demand for prostituted kids is a job only real men can do

WHAT? The mission of the EPIK Project is to mobilize 100,000 men to end demand for prostituted kids...

HOW? By helping to fund their restoration and working to change the culture that made them victims.

WHY? Because ending demand is a man's job.

EPIK is a mobilization strategy designed to engage men in the fight to end the demand for prostituted kids in America. We do this by calling men to commit to two simple things:

Champion the front-line work of victim restoration by donating at least $13/month. These funds are directed to the most effective victim advocacy work in your community.

Learn to tell a better Manstory; understand the cultural, economic, political and spiritual causes that fuel a society that makes victims out of kids. Then, learn to manifest both the will and the skill to leverage personal influence for lasting change.

EPIK helps you do both of these things in locally, and sustainable ways. Join today and get things started in your community!

Without the collective influence of good men, the culture that makes kids vulnerable to commercial sexual exploitation will not change.

The language of our culture reinforces the perception that a child caught in prostitution is a willing participant in the activity. We label them "child-prostitutes" when in fact they are "prostituted children."

The average age of entry into prostitution in America is between 12 and 14.

In virtually every city where this problem exists, there are already groups on the ground fighting human trafficking; this includes groups focused on victim rescue and restoration, awareness or public policy.

Human trafficking is a supply-and-demand issue; globally, it has become the #2 most profitable illegal business; just ahead of weapons and just behind drugs.

They say prostitution is the "world's oldest profession;" they're wrong. There is no credible evidence to support the notion that since its always been around, we shouldn't try too hard to end it. This is just an excuse men use to justify not caring for victims and the culture that makes them vulnerable.

Men create the problem; while there are male victims, female pimps and female buyers, the vast majority of victims are girls and the vast majority of victimizers are men.

REST | Real Escape from the Sex Trade

REST was founded in 2009 by a group of men and women who wanted to take action and help women and children who are being forced into prostitution in Seattle, WA. REST exists to bring freedom and hope to victims of sex trafficking and people involved the sex trade, by offering a real and lasting escape.

The average age of entry into prostitution is between 12-14 years old, and the Department of Justice estimates that more than 250,000 American children are at risk for sex trafficking. REST was founded in 2009 by a group of men and women who wanted to take action and help these women and children who are being forced into prostitution in Seattle, WA.

REST exists to bring freedom and hope to victims of sex trafficking and people involved in the sex trade, by offering a real and lasting escape. REST has the following teams:

Direct Outreach TeamsWomen and girls may be forced or coerced into prostitution on the streets, through the internet, in strip clubs, massage parlors, or bikini barista stands. The REST direct outreach teams go into a variety of these venues to offer help and hope to women and girls who may be victims of sex trafficking. A consistent presence and a visible opportunity for help in areas of sex trafficking are crucial to building relationships and providing a way of escape.

PreventionThe Jail Outreach Team is starting a Bible Study at the Juvenile detention center one night a week for girls who are under 18 years old. These girls are certainly at-risk for entering prostitution, though many of them have already been sexually exploited. This team will connect the girls with mentors who commit to stay involved in their lives, help them get into healthy community, access resources.

MentorsWe are in the process of building a team of mentors who commit to spending time with and offering guidance to girls who are in the process of leaving the sex industry. Mentors will receive thorough training and be matched with a girl who is connected with one of the direct outreach teams and is requesting a mentor.

Demand ReductionIt is estimated that 10-15% of men have purchased a sex act, with some men soliciting prostitution daily. The John Intercession Model (JIM)has been developed to help men stop buying sex from women and children. The Demand Reduction team connects with men who buy sex in places where prostitution is frequently solicited and offers help and counseling.

Prayer PartnersInterceding on behalf of everyone involved in the sex industry is the most important way we serve. Prayer partners are those who commit to pray regularly for girls, women, and men in the sex-trade, for REST, and for what God is doing through the ministry. We also have a prayer team that meets nearly every Friday night to pray together.

Contact Us | Email info@iwantrest.com to learn how to get involved and join one of these teams.

THE PROBLEMProstitution is a multi-billion dollars enterprise and, contrary to popular belief, it is not a victimless crime. In fact, it is fueling the growing human trafficking crisis locally and globally. Sex trafficking is caused mostly by men who buy sex (the demand) and the perpetrators (i.e. pimps & traffickers) that lure, coerce, and sexually exploit the vulnerable and prostituted girls, boys, and women (the supply). This black market ultimately produces horrific violence including rape, drugs, untold physical & emotional trauma, and murder. The perpetrators twisted love of power, money, and hedonism as well as an utter lack of respect for human dignity are at the root of this crisis.

ONE ANSWERBuy Sex, Buy Rape is a sex trafficking prevention campaign targeting men, young and old, and letting them know the violence that is on their guilty hands when they buy sex. If we can get men, young and old, to stop buying sex, we will be able to the limit demand and, hopefully, the supply. Ultimately, we seek to see all girls, boys, and women not be sexually exploited, harmed or scarred in any way. If this campaign can help inform and appeal to mens better selves and, thus, prevent men from buying sex, it would fulfill its purpose.

OUR PROJECTBuy Sex, Buy Rape campaign is created and led by Hope for Seattle and its Board of Advisors. We hope to launch this campaign by Summer 2012. In the meantime, we are gathering partners across the U.S. and other countries who will collaborate with us to promote this campaign in their own city and region via social media, posters, advertisements, billboards, public service announcements, etc.

BEST

Washington Engage fulfills its mission to businesses through a collaborative partnership with Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST)

BEST Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking aligns and equips leaders to use the power of business to prevent human trafficking.

Mission

Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST) aligns and equips leaders to use the power of business to prevent human trafficking.

The Benefits to Businesses

1. Attract and Retain Loyal Customers. Businesses that sign the BEST Principles will receive a BEST decal that may be posted in the business and an electronic logo that may be posted on the business website.

When businesses prevent the exploitation of youth and vulnerable persons, they differentiate their businesses from their competitors and build employee and consumer loyalty.

BEST will also promote BEST business to the growing number of grassroots advocates, consumers, and business partners that are looking for businesses that share their values.

2. Attract and Retain Talent. Good employees want to work for good businesses. Research shows that ethical companies increase employee morale and reduce employee turnover costs.

Canlis restaurant inspires and retains employees through good labor practices and active community involvement.

3. Protect your business. The crime of trafficking poses financial, legal, and reputational risks to businesses. Businesses that want to avoid litigation and bad press need to implement the practices outlined by the BEST Principles.

Over the past thirty years, a sexual harassment policy has become the norm for businesses that want to protect themselves. In the U.S., the government has now turned its attention to human trafficking and is finding businesses to make an example of. In addition, the media has turned increasing attention to human trafficking stories and the roles of businesses like backpage.com.

4. Level the playing field. Your competitors may have an unfair advantage because they or their vendors fund or facilitate human trafficking to decrease costs. This initiative seeks to level the playing field without imposing costly legislation.

For example, after sweatshops were discovered in Nikes supply chain, Nike differentiated itself and demonstrated leadership by tackling the problem proactively. These socially responsible measures by Nike are now standard practice for the apparel industry. Join this movement to make trafficking-free business the industry standard.

Join Now

BEST Alliance Membership

The BEST Alliance is a community of business men and women who are joining forces to put traffickers out of business. As a Member of the BEST Alliance, you will receive the following benefits:

"Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events. It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance."